Putting a new lens on carbon

Since 2006 Anglian Water has gone through a step change in its understanding of carbon management Carbon manager David Riley explains the challenge.

Riley David
01 October 2014

Twitter FacebookLinkedIn

Print

Topics 

Sustainability

Water & Waste

To those leading organisations who have driven carbon reductions through their business the link between reducing carbon and boosting business efficiency will come as no surprise. 

Carbon is an excellent proxy for the raw materials and energy used in constructing and operating assets and where lower carbon solutions have been delivered the evidence also points to lower cost.

We have seen significant business efficiencies delivered through our £2bn capital programme. 

At the start of our carbon journey we understood that individual parts of our supply chain could all deliver small carbon reductions when required. However, significant reductions could not be delivered without the whole of the supply chain being aligned and incentivised

The vision of investors and directors to deliver sustainable low carbon solutions is understood and implemented through the business and supply chain.

This has been backed up by clear goals within our ‘Love Every Drop’ campaign to:

• Halve the capital (embodied) carbon of assets built in 2015 from a 2010 baseline
• A 10% reduction in operational carbon in real terms by 2015 from a 2010 baseline.

At a tactical level we have in place a robust governance process, where both capital carbon and operational carbon are challenged against a baseline in the capital delivery process on three separate occasions. This is one of the steps we have taken to ensure the lowest carbon and cost solutions are identified and delivered, together with a programme of training workshops and an in house developed carbon modelling tool assisting engineers in optioneering designs.

With leadership creating the environment and driver for low carbon low cost solutions, innovation is the engine especially within the value chain. 

Progress Review

The Green Construction Board’s Infrastructure Carbon Review One-Year-On conference takes place on the 27th October will provide an insight into how other leading infrastructure organisations are responding to the carbon challenge.

To register your interest in attending this free event email nicola.walters@bis.gsi.gov.uk.

For detail of the Infrastructure Carbon Review visit click here 

As Chris Newsome, director of asset management at Anglian Water stated in the HM Treasury Infrastructure Carbon Review, “We have gained real value from lower carbon solutions.

"The greatest benefit comes from joining up the value chain, with the client taking the lead in defining clear ‘low carbon’ targets and being responsive to the opportunities that are offered. That’s what leads to positive sustainable outcomes.”

Early collaboration in the design process and the setting of clear expectations, have been fundamental in allowing our supply chain to deliver innovation, together with the rewarding of results that benefit all parties.

Avoiding over prescriptive specifications and enabling the supply chain to challenge standards, has also removed some of the previous blockers to innovation.

Along with leadership and innovation, procurement has been recognised as the third vital step. We have made clear within our procurement tendering process that we want to work with suppliers who measure carbon and have clear reduction strategies in place.

The HM Treasury Infrastructure Carbon Review, launched in November 2013, aligns very closely with the principles being applied within Anglian Water.

In reducing capital and operational carbon, the key messages of the report highlighted:

• It reduces costs
• It unlocks innovation and drives better solutions
• It drives resource efficiency
• It provides competitive advantage and export potential
• It contributes to climate change mitigation

At the start of our carbon journey we understood that individual parts of our supply chain could all deliver small carbon reductions when required. However, significant reductions could not be delivered without the whole of the supply chain being aligned and incentivised with the same objectives of reducing carbon.

The response to the carbon challenge from both engineers within Anglian Water and the supply chain has been fantastic.

In 2012 an extension to Bedford Water Recycling Centre was completed to treat a 30,000 population increase. 

The scheme was delivered with a 66% reduction in capital carbon against baseline, 43% reduction in cost against baseline and the site having an overall reduction in operational carbon against a forecast increase due to significant improvements in site energy and process efficiency.

David Riley is carbon mamager at Anglian Water